A hot cup of tea spiced with freshly grated ginger, gently flavored with a touch of cardamom, brightened with a dash of milk, is how I love to start my day. This soothing and invigorating Indian Ginger tea, or Adrak chai, is made with just four ingredients and is ready in 10 minutes!
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It won't be an exaggeration to say that the aroma, flavor, and taste of this cherished Adrak ki chai is what gets more than one billion people in India out of bed every single day... including me!
Tea, or chai, is perhaps the most common beverage in most north-Indian homes. Even when guests visit unannounced, they rarely leave without having a cup of tea 🙂
What is Ginger Tea - Adrak Chai?
Indian Ginger chai refers to an Indian-style Ginger milk tea made by brewing black tea leaves in hot water, which is infused with freshly grated ginger root. It is then simmered with a splash of milk and optionally sweetened to taste.
Ginger is called 'Adrak' in Hindi, and tea is called 'chai'. In my home, our mornings start with a cup of adrak wali chai, made by hubby!
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
Here's what you need for this Indian ginger tea recipe:
- Ginger: For optimal results, use fresh ginger. I wouldn't recommend using dry ginger powder as it has a very different taste. Buy firm ginger roots with light brown skin. Darker roots indicate over-ripe ginger, which has an unpleasant woody taste. Wash and dry the ginger and scrape off any bruised skin with a spoon or vegetable peeler. Peeling the entire ginger is optional (I don't).
- Cardamom: A little goes a long way here. I crush two green cardamom pods gently, and that's enough to perfume the tea ever so slightly with a floral aroma. You can also use cardamom seeds and lightly crush them.
- Indian Tea (loose-leaf tea or tea bags): Indian black tea brands vary in terms of both taste and tea strength. Pick a brand that you prefer. I like Taj Mahal brand. You can either get loose tea leaves (my preference) or tea bags from a large grocery store or Amazon.
- Milk: I use low-fat milk (2%) since that's what I have on hand. To make your chai richer, add whole milk. I don't recommend fat-free milk in this recipe. For dairy-free options, try soy milk or oat milk; however, the chai won't be as rich as it would be with dairy milk.
- Optional: Sugar or jaggery, if you prefer to sweeten your chai, or a sugar-free sweetener of your choice.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Ginger Tea (Adrak Chai)
Here's how to make perfect adrak chai- all you need is a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes. Follow these step-by-step instructions and sip away!
- Simmer water with ginger: Place a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add water, grated ginger, and gently crushed cardamom pods, and let the water come up to a simmer.
- Add black tea: Add tea leaves (or tea bags) and bring everything to a rolling boil.
- Add milk: Add milk and bring the tea back to a full boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for a minute. Turn off the heat.
- Strain the tea into cups: Using a fine-mesh strainer, pour the tea into two cups. Add sugar, jaggery, or honey to taste, if using. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions- What goes best with Adrak ki Chai
Ginger tea is the perfect accompaniment to Indian sweet and savory snacks, such as pakoras, aloo samosas, samosa pinwheels, or almond spice cookies.
It also makes for a grand finale after brunch recipes like Idli, Bombay Toast, Uttapam Waffles, or Egg Bhurji.
My favorite afternoon snack includes a hot cup of chai with a slice of Apple Cinnamon cake, Pumpkin bread, or a warmed Banana Chocolate Muffin.
How to Store
Ginger chai becomes darker in color and more bitter in taste if stored for an extended period or reheated multiple times. If making a large batch, store it in an insulated thermos and use it within 5 hours.
How to Make Ginger Tea for a Party
Indian gatherings are incomplete without a round or two of chai! Whenever I'm hosting a large group of family and friends, I follow these tried and tested tips for stress-free entertaining:
- Take a head count. Make a few extras as you'll always have a few people who will change their minds when they see a piping hot cup of tea!
- For a large crowd, you can prepare the chai a couple of hours ahead of time and store it in a party-size thermos.
- Alternatively, prepare the water with ginger and cardamom and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. When you're ready to make chai, simply add another ½-1 cup to compensate for evaporation, bring it to a boil again, add the tea bags and milk, and follow the same process.
Ginger Tea Variations
- Masala Chai: Add ¼-½ teaspoon of tea masala (chai masala) to the sauce pan along with ginger and cardamom. Here's a detailed recipe for Masala chai.
- Kadak Chai: Kadak means 'strong' in English. Kadak chai is typically served in street-side food kiosks in India. For that, add an extra ¼ cup of both, water and milk, and simmer the chai for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Creamier Tea: For a richer chai, add 1½ cups water + ¾ cup milk instead. Alternatively, use full-fat milk.
- Stronger Ginger flavor: Add more or less ginger based on your preference.
- Add lemongrass: Add a few pieces of lemongrass leaves to enhance the citrusy flavors of ginger.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Ginger: For optimal results, use fresh ginger. Wash and dry the ginger and scrape off any bruised skin with a spoon or vegetable peeler. Peeling the entire ginger is optional and purely based on personal preference (I don't).
- Adjust the flavor: This quantity of ginger gives the tea a prominent ginger flavor. The quantity of ginger can be adjusted to suit your preference.
- Add masala: Add ⅛ teaspoon of tea masala (chai masala) to the saucepan along with ginger and cardamom, and enjoy Masala chai.
- Make it stronger: To make a strong cup of tea (Kadak Chai), add an extra ¼ cup of water and milk each, and simmer the chai for 2-3 minutes.
- Make it creamier: For a creamier chai, add 1 ½ cups of water and ¾ cup of milk instead. Alternatively, use full-fat milk.
- Storing: Ginger chai tends to become darker in color and slightly bitter if reheated multiple times. If making a larger batch, store it in a thermos and use it as needed.
- Strain: Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the tea, preventing any tea leaves from transferring to the cup.
FAQ
No, it is not necessary; it's a personal preference. The skin of ginger contains some nutrients. To preserve it, I rinse and dry the ginger to remove any dirt. I scrape off any bruised skin.
Ginger tea is great anytime during the day, so the ideal time depends on your preference. It is worth noting that black tea contains caffeine.
More Indian Drink Recipes
📖 Recipe
Ginger Tea (Adrak Wali Chai)
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Ingredients
- 2 cup water
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger (about ½-inch piece)
- 2 teaspoon black tea leaves or 2 black tea bags like Tetley, Taj Mahal
- ¼-⅓ cup low-fat milk (adjust quantity to taste)
- 2 green cardamom pods gently crushed
- sugar/honey to taste (I skip it)
Instructions
- Place a sauce pan on medium-high heat. Add water, grated ginger, gently crushed cardamom pods and let the water come up to a simmer.
- Add tea leaves (or tea bags) and bring everything to a rolling boil.
- Add milk and bring the tea to a full boil again. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for a minute. Turn off the heat.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, pout the tea in two cups. Add sugar or honey to taste, if using. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ginger: For optimal results, use fresh ginger. Wash and dry the ginger and scrape off any bruised skin with a spoon or vegetable peeler. Peeling the entire ginger is optional and purely based on personal preference (I don't).
- Adjust the flavor: This quantity of ginger gives the tea a prominent ginger flavor. The amount of ginger can be adjusted to suit your preference.
- Add masala: Add ⅛ teaspoon of tea masala (chai masala) to the saucepan along with ginger and cardamom, and enjoy Masala chai.
- Make it stronger: To make a strong cup of tea (Kadak Chai), add an extra ¼ cup of water and milk each, and simmer the chai for 2-3 minutes.
- Make it creamier: For a creamier chai, add 1 ½ cups of water and ¾ cup of milk instead. Alternatively, use full-fat milk.
- Storing: Ginger chai tends to become darker in color and slightly bitter if reheated multiple times. If making a larger batch, store it in a thermos and use it as needed.
- Strain: Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the tea, preventing any tea leaves from transferring to the cup.
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